Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-03-18
'iHE OLD SEXTON.
THE SD BIRTHDAY OF THE DIG
GER OF 5000 GRAVES.

THOUGHTEU MBhANCC Or LII 81
VETERAN BY HIS FELLOW CITIZENS
A SURPRISE FOR HIM IN THE SHAPE
OF A PURsE-AN INTERVIEW WITH
HIM.
Wednesday was the 83rd birthday of
Patrick McNamara, the sexton of Thorn.
rose cemetery, and the sturdy old Irish.
man, who has been the mayor, so to speak
of chat city Of the dead for thirty-six
years, received an attention from his
friends that showed that while his bust.
ness lay among those of another world, his
virtues were not forgotten by the inhabi-
tants of this.
At O'Clock that night company OF
some twenty five or thirty gentlemen, re-
representatives. of the one hundred interest.
ed, marched out to the residence of MIR
Mcnamara, opposite the graveyard. One
of them, Mr.. W. FL. Fl. Lynn. who had
been selected to make the presentation
had in one pocket buckskin purse with
a sprig of shamrock, and the name of
Patrick Mcnamara embroidered on it IN
green silk. In the purse was a gold dollar
for each of the eighty-thres years of his
life. Ia the other pocket was a bag con-
tanning seventeen silver dollars, making
the hundred subscribed by the one hun.
dred subscribers to the fund. In the line
Mr.. e. Men. WhittIe carried a framed
parchment. on which had been written by
City Treasurer Hoge, the following express
sions from the subscribers:
THE undersigned, friends of Mr.. Patrick
Mon amara of Staunton, Va, recognizing
the uprightneys, industry and usefulness
which have characterized his long and
busy life, and desiring to testify their
personal friendship and their respect for
his sterling worth. beg leave to tender
him on this. his SD birth day, the accom-
panying purse as token Of their regard
for him, with the hope that it may in some
degree contribute to his personal comfort
and with the further wish that his useful
and honorable life may in the kindness of
Providence be prolonged for many years.
1t was signed by 100 representatives of
almost every profession and position in life
mechanics, merchants, business men
bank men. lawyers. judges, ministers. and
editors, the two oldest signers being Hon.
A. Fl. FL. Stuart and G. M. Cochran, ST..
Arrived at the house. the parlOr was taken
possession of, and the astonished and ven
cradle couple, Mr.. Mcnamara and his
wife, were sent for. Mr., Lynn made the
presentation in an eloquent speech, with
a touching reference to the fact that
MIR. M. had Laid under the turf some loved
ones of nearly every one of the signers to
the testimonial. Mr. Mcnamara replied
in a few feeling words in which he al
luded to the same fact. adding: 81 loved
them and I believe they loved me-" AT
the close, the company shook hands with
the venerable couple. wished them many
years of life, and took their leave.
AN INTERESTING INT ERvIEw WITH THF
MAN WHO HAS DUG 5000 GRAVES.
A representative of the VINDICAToB
had a long talk with the veteran grave.
digger, which will be found quite interest
4DS W phooO Va tL1o ouJs
"You just missed being born on ST.
Patrick's day by twenty-four hours, MI
Mac" said the reporter.
s'Yes; but it was such close shave thai
they thought it near enough to name mt
Patrick. was born On the 10Th of March
1904. in the County Of koscommon, Pro-
vince of Connaught, in the west Of Ire
land. In 1885 L came to New York in the
ship Okenoa and landed at Castle Garden
1t was the first American ship that had
sailed to Europe and returned in ballast
She brought for ballast, bricks, uln, and
river rocks. The bricks were wanted in
New YORK, for there had been great fire
there that winter and the buildings. which
were mostly frame, had been sweep
away"
s'Did you sail from Queenstown"
'sThere was no Queenstown in that day
it was called the Cove of Cork. 1t was only
after the Queen had landed there on {
visit to Ireland that it was called Queens
town. l remember when George "
came to visit Ireland he landed at Dun
Ieary, and after that it was called Kings
town, and then Kingston. I remember
him we'll, for l went to see him review thI
troops in Dublin park. the same park tina
Lord Cavendish was assassinated il somt
years ago. The review was great thing
with the troops marching and the cannon
firing.
OLD VIRGINIA WORKS.
After six months in New York [ came
down to Virginia and got work on thu
James River and Kanawha Canal a
LYnchburg, which was then building
Charles Elicit was the Chief Engineer
the same one that built the tempofar,
track over the Blue Ridge. During til,
war he made the gunboats- that went VI
and took Fort Donelson. He was after
wards killed by an explosion on enc o
them. I worked on The different section
of the canal down to Richmond. la 1889
came to StauntOn and went to work OF
the Valley pike. Gen. Jos. r. Anderson
now Of Richmond, was the Chief Engi
neer Of the pike building. land his assistan
was Ed win NJ. Taylor, who afterward
became chief himself. / then worked OF
the Parkersburg pike from SGauntGn t.
Monterey. Col. Crozet was the Chief En-
ginser of that work aud Robert Kline
was his assistant. Kinney was the Is
Lieutenant OF Capt. Harper's compan,
shat went to Mexico. The company lief
on the day before Christmas, 1916, and
-,